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Ernst Plischke
Austrain born Ernst Plischke was an architect, town planner and furniture designer who spent most of his career practising in New Zealand, 1939-1963. Born in 1903 to an architect father and mother from a family of cabinet makers.

Edutcation
At age 16 Ernst began studying at Kunstgewerbeschule (College for Arts and Crafts) before later moving to the Akademie der bildenden Künste (Academy of Fine Arts) at age 20. Spending 3 more years completing a ‘Master School’, run by his future boss Peter Behrens. Finally graduating at age 23 in 1926, winning the master school prize, Ernst began working in Peter Behrens office, later moving to the office of Josef Frank before traveling to New York to partner with William Muschenheim in 1929. These early experiences in architecture led Ernst towards modernism, most influential was Le cobriesier and his 1927 book ‘5 points of architecture’, in setting his path towards international modernism. Ernst himself later saying“it is a fact that Le Corbusier was by far the greatest influence in educational career”.

Manifesto for the New Dewling entry
After returning to Vienna following his New York partnership Ernst joined the Werkbund designing two units in the 1932 ‘Manifesto of the new dwelling’. He was allocated units 35 and 36 slotting between neighbors Josef Wenzel's  (house 37/38 ) and  Julius Jirasek (house 33/34). From the outside Ernsts designs had clear modernist details, horizontal band windows, large spans of glass on the facade and featured logia, balconies and gardens. As well as tall ceilings in main living spaces, helping make the flats feel generous even with their modest 57m2 floor area. What was less modernist but reflective of his time working with his uncle, the cabinet maker, was the warmth and detail on the interiors. The built in furniture for which Ernst designed, later expressing in an interview how he saw furniture as a key part of the architecture. The interiors had handsome built in timber furniture, with the other key interior material being fabrics and soft furnishings. This warmth is typically uncharacteristic of modernism, but would become very characteristic of Ernst seen again in his flat design for Lucie Rie and other Werkbund designs.

New Home in New Zealand
Ernst arrived in New Zealand on the 9th of may 1939. He left Austria due to his work drying up. As he was a member of the social wing of the Werkbund, which was banned like the Bauhaus movement by the Nazis, his typical style of work was now illegal. Additionally following the annexation of Austria by the Nazis and the events of Kristallnacht it became clear that staying in Austria was a danger to Ernsts’ Jewish wife, Anna. This marriage also meant it was impossible for him to become a member of the Chamber of Arts, which was needed to be an architect in Germany. Immigration became his only option. Arriving in Wellington Ernst's reputation quickly got him a government job with the Ministry of Works. Where he and many other emigres, Fritz Feuer (Frederick Farrar) and Friedrich Neumann (Fred Newman), worked under head architect Gordin Wilson.

Orakei One
His first largely solo project was to design Ernst's first, largely independent, project was to design a series of multi unit houses in Orakei. Here is where we see the most direct translation of his Werkbund designs. With time pressure passed on from his boss Gordin Wilson and the similarity of the brief to the 1932 competition it's no surprise Ernst looked back to what had worked so well previously. Puting the two designs side by side you can see the tall windows, recessed balconies and geometries repeated, with small vegetable patches out the front. His designs were welcomed by his boss to his surprise and in leters to Lucie Rie he expresses how for the first time in two years he is excited. Unfortunately due to WW2, lack of funding and materials, a watered down version, ‘Orakei 2’, was built.

Rough nz reception

early nz work

late nz work

awards